Cerebral angiography, also known as cerebral angiography, is a minimally invasive medical imaging procedure that uses x-rays and an iodine-containing contrast medium to visualize blood vessels in the brain.
In brain angiography, a thin plastic tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery in the groin area. The catheter is smaller, longer and thinner than the tip of a pencil, is a soft plastic tube. The catheter is then carefully guided through the vein into the brain. The patient does not feel any pain during this process. Only the catheter When the catheter is inserted into the vein in the groin area, the patient may feel a pinprick-like pain. When the catheter reaches the area to be visualized, the contrast material is inserted through the tube. is injected into the area and images are captured using radiation (x-rays). The imaging is actually performed with the help of a contrast medium, where the contrast medium is injected into the vessels is the recording of its flow inside. Depending on the area to be imaged, the contrast material is re-injected until the desired image is obtained exactly. clear images are taken of the area to be visualized. In brain angiography, contrast material and x-rays are used to visualize the upper skull bone that hides the vessels. electronically removed from the image and the remaining vessels are clearly visible.
Brain angiography is used to detect abnormalities in the blood vessels in the brain or abnormalities that have been detected by other imaging methods but cannot be confirmed. It is applied to precisely determine the location and degree of the detected abnormalities and their relationship with other vessels.
Not everyone with arterial blockages needs cerebral angiography. Usually only after your doctor has performed other imaging methods and tests. is performed if more information is needed for the diagnosis and treatment of your disease.
Brain angiography can eliminate the need for surgery. If surgery is deemed necessary after angiography, it can be performed more accurately. Cerebral angiography provides a very detailed, clear and accurate image of the blood vessels in the brain. This is particularly useful for the physician and therefore the patient when considering a surgical operation.
On the other hand, the use of a catheter allows the diagnosis and treatment of the disease to be combined in a single procedure.
● Brain aneurysms
● Acute stroke
● Brain tumor
● Carotid Stenosis
● Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (Vascular Tangle in the Brain)
● Carotid Artery Dissections
● Evaluating the head and neck arteries before surgery
● Providing additional information about abnormalities seen on head MRI or CT scan
● Arteriosclerosis
● Vasculitis or inflammation of blood vessels
● It is used in cases such as blood clots in the vessels of the brain.
Brain angiography can also be used when other imaging modalities are insufficient to help diagnose the cause of symptoms such as
● Severe headache
● Later-onset speech disorders
● Severe dizziness
● Blurred or double vision
● Later-onset movement weakness or numbness
● Loss of coordination or balance
● Memory loss
Our patients must be informed about their medications, chronic and allergic diseases, pregnancy and breastfeeding conditions, and allergic diseases. They should inform their physician. For cerebral angiography, patients are asked not to eat or drink anything after midnight. Cerebral angiography is usually performed under local anesthesia while the patient is awake. However, it can also be performed under general anesthesia depending on the patient's condition.
The brain angioplasty is completed in one to three hours. You will be kept under observation in hospital for a few hours. You can then rest at home. On the first day after the procedure, you may experience mild pain in the groin area. You can return to your normal life the day after the procedure. After the angioplasty It is recommended to drink plenty of water to remove the contrast agent from the body.
Brain angiography is not a painful procedure. Only during the insertion of the catheter into the vein, patients feel a low-intensity, needle-like pain. When the contrast material is injected into the brain, patients may feel warmth in the face and head area, like a UFO heating. Also, the injected area in the brain Accordingly, short-term dizziness and a feeling of intoxication may occur.